Keicher files bill to help address Illinois’ teacher shortage

February 22, 2019

State Representative Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, has
filed new legislation to help address Illinois’ need to recruit more teachers. House
Bill 3364 aims to help mitigate Illinois’ teacher shortage by providing
financial assistance, by way of the Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant, to a
person who is in enrolled in an educator preparation program approved by the
state.

Currently, if a person has a received a baccalaureate
degree, they are ineligible to receive a MAP grant. Under Representative Keicher’s bill, if you
are going back to school after receiving a degree to become a teacher and
enroll in a program to receive a teaching certificate, you could be eligible
for a MAP.

The goal is to encourage someone who has already
received a degree and has a desire to become a teacher, but unable to do so
financially, to go back and get their certification. To be eligible, a person must also agree to
teach in Illinois for 5 years after receiving a Professional Educator License.

“Illinois has many of the finest teachers in the country,
but the fact is, we need more of them,” Representative Keicher said. “My bill can help us do that, by
making the MAP grant program available to eligible students in financial need
who return to school in order to earn their teaching certification.”

The Monetary Award Program (MAP) provides grant
assistance to eligible students demonstrating financial need. MAP grants are
applied toward tuition and mandatory fees for undergraduate students, not to
exceed the maximum award amount for the academic year.

Approved Illinois public and private two- and four-year
colleges, universities, and certain other degree-granting institutions participate
in the MAP grant program.

To determine financial need, an applicant completes
and submits the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as
possible after October 1 preceding the academic year for which they are
applying. Funding for the MAP grant is limited; to ensure full-year
consideration for an award, an applicant must apply early.

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